Gazette expands End Zone Extra to include video highlights, live scoring

Like the teams taking the field on Friday night, the Gazette is looking to take the next step in its coverage of high school football.

Last year we launched End Zone Extra, an online complement to our print coverage of the 14 teams we cover in Indiana County and surrounding counties. This year, we’re expanding End Zone Extra to include video highlights and interviews, a weekly video preview, photo galleries and up-to-date in-game scoring from Friday night’s games.

“With the increase of traffic to our website, we are always looking for increased content to engage our readers,” Chris Miller, a Gazette web consultant who developed the End Zone Extra concept last season.

“No media outlet in the area covers high school athletics like The Indiana Gazette. The added photo galleries, video, statistics and extra content will expand our coverage.”

Last year, final scores were posted as games were completed. This year, in-game updates will be posted throughout games, some featuring key plays, particularly touchdowns.

“Users will be able to log on and check on the score of their teams’ games in real time, plus see occasional play updates,” Ellen Matis, the Gazette’s digital media coordinator, said.

The weekly video preview features Gazette sports writer Carly Krouse, who will give a quick breakdown of the week’s key games and other matchups. Videos will be posted on Thursdays to complement that day’s two-page print preview.

Of course, the print edition remains the staple of the Gazette’s coverage. The sports department staffs at least six games each week and never misses an Indiana or Heritage Conference game.

“Our readers will always get the most complete and in-depth coverage in print,” Tony Coccagna, Gazette sports editor, said. “Of course, you can now access that content online for a nominal fee every month. For the amount of local sports coverage we provide for our readers, it’s really quite a bargain.”

And, he added, “Technology is a wonderful thing, and it’s great to have that information at your fingertips on a digital device, but you can’t cut out a laptop or a smartphone and paste that in a scrapbook.”

ON NEWSTANDS TODAY: Kickoff 2014, a 48-preview of everuthing you need to know about area football teams.

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